This article uses cannibalism of children as a metaphoric display which is graphic yet logical to prove his point. For example, he gives a great description of how one would cook the babies to keep the reader intrigued. He want people to think about the prime causes of poverty and hunger, which Swift wants to end.
Swift applies a creative argument that suggest one solution while actually arguing for a different. It can be grouped into three main categories: verbal irony, dramatic irony and situational irony. The most often used form of irony in literary works is dramatic irony. An example of dramatic irony would be hearing one of your friends talk about his plans to propose to his girlfriend even though you know that she has no intentions of getting engaged.
In Othello, Shakespeare characterizes Iago as astute through the use of hyperbole and metaphors. We can learn from Iago that having an air of superiority results in a distorted view of reality and can eventually lead to bitterness and hate.
Authors have long used satire to uncover and censure absurdity and debasement of an individual or the public by utilizing irony, silliness, distortion, or ridicule. It expects to enhance the individual and society by censuring its indiscretions and shortcomings. Various authors for example, Horace, swift, Juvenal and Twain, have applied satire in their works. Authors may use a parody of an individual, a nation, or even the whole world. The essence of satire is to produce a composition, which makes fun of an individual or the public to uncover its ineptitude and inadequacies.
Advice To Youth was a speech given by Mark Twain in In Mark Twain's speech, he gives advice, but not in the traditional way which the older audience expects. Although the title is Advice to Youth, the speech seems more targeted towards adults and authorities; although it does still give the youth advice.
Twain does this in a manner in which he shows that many adults give advice that they do not even follow. Mark Twain uses juvenal satire, exaggeration, and symbolism to effectively get his message across and strengthen his argument.
The Enlightenment was a quintessential part of shaping the way people think today. Writers at the time such as Aristophanes and Menander wrote comedy similarly to how we do today, mocking politicians, fellow writers, and Greek philosophers Mark Cartwright. These women could not find work, and so they were forced to beg in order to provide food for their family and starving children.
Jonathan Swift is making an argument to have these poor Irish women produce babies that at the age of one would be sold for a profit. The target audience is the poor Irish families that have too many children to be able to feed. This also targets the rich families of Ireland who will be the ones that will purchase the babies from the poor. The main point is to stop all the women in Ireland from raising so many children that they could not have enough means to be able to feed or clothe them all.
Many parents, unable to work for their honest sources of revenue, are forced to employ all of their time panhandling for alms. Meanwhile, their children grow up to become thieves or emigrants. Swift does this by utilizing a satirical tone while also using verbal irony and pathos to make his point.
He goes on to describe the details of his plan, calculating that one hundred and twenty thousand poor children would be available to sell for food.
Swift uses this line to let his piercing irony shine through for the first time in the pamphlet in dehumanizing the impoverished people of Ireland by speaking of them as strictly statistics and treating them as livestock. This ironic comparison brilliantly plays on the sad fact that, at the time, poor families were treated worse as humans than the livestock throughout the country.
Swift acknowledges the fact of the scarcity of food and empathizes with the struggling and famished souls of Ireland through the strange essay. Being of high society Britain, which at the time mothered Ireland, Swift utilizes his work to satirically place much of the blame on England itself. Through his brilliant stating of the fact that the children cost money as well as aid in the drought of food and necessities the reader can get an idea of the suffering on going in Ireland; this brings the reader to see that instead of keeping the children their parents should either eat them or sell them on an open market.
By wasting the scarce food in Ireland, the people are killing themselves; thus the children can be consumed saving food and at the same time making food. It is interesting to see how well Swift conveys his view towards the poor in this odd manor. He shows sympathy towards the poor women and their children. It also creates a strong bond and trust between the speaker and the reader. Swift is as kind as to include different ways and suggested recipes for cooking these babies.
When we finished reading our teacher asked us what we thought of the piece. Before we got too far into our heated debate, our teacher introduced that this was satire. We still smiled blankly, but he finally began to explain the concept. To be clear, Swift is not saying that eating children is a reasonable solution to the problem, rather he is demonstrating the heartless and cruel attitude of the rich, while pointing out the issues he sees with the Irish government. Me too.
Looks fun, and you get to make ridiculous arguments. Here are two techniques and tips to write great satire. One of the most important things about using tone is that we make sure we choose the correct tone to convey the message we so desire.
In satire, most commonly, the most effective tone to use is the serious tone. This is because the serious tone creates this confusion within the reader, just like my junior class was confused the first time we read satire. Irony is saying one thing, while meaning the other, or in situations when the outcome is contrary to what is expected. Swift accomplishes this by starting the piece highlighting the problem of starving families in Ireland, and then proposing his solution.
A young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout. If you want to write satire, one of my biggest tips is that you read satire.
Do you enjoy satire? Have you ever written it?
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